Arthritis Chiropractor in Elkhorn and Omaha, NE

What is arthritis?

Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints that causes pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion. The two most common types are osteoarthritis — caused by the gradual breakdown of cartilage between joints — and rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks joint tissue. According to the CDC, an estimated 53 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with some form of arthritis, making it one of the leading causes of chronic pain and disability in the country.

Many people don’t know it’s arthritis

Most people don’t walk in saying “I think I have arthritis.” They say their knee aches when they go up stairs. Their shoulder is stiff every morning. Their lower back just doesn’t move the way it used to. By the time arthritis is part of the conversation, many of them have already been told the same thing: take ibuprofen, stay active, and learn to live with it.

There’s usually more to it than that

That’s not wrong advice, exactly. But it’s not the whole picture either. Arthritis doesn’t develop in a vacuum. Joints break down for reasons: old injuries, movement patterns, the way your body has been compensating for years. Understanding those reasons changes what you can actually do about it. We look at what’s driving the degeneration, not just the pain it’s causing.

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Why do joints break down?

Wear and Tear

The most straightforward answer is wear and tear over time. Cartilage thins, joints lose lubrication, and the body starts to compensate. That’s why arthritis is more common as we age, but age alone doesn’t tell the whole story.

Old injuries play a bigger role than most people realize

If you played sports, were in a car accident, or had any significant injury earlier in life, that history matters. Even injuries that seemed to heal fine can affect how your joints move for years afterward. The body adapts, but those adaptations have a cost, and sometimes that cost shows up as arthritis decades later.

When joints move too much in the wrong places

Here’s something most people haven’t heard: arthritis can actually be your body’s attempt to protect itself. When a joint is unstable or moving more than it should, the body responds by laying down bone to stabilize it. That’s arthritis. It’s not random, it’s a compensation. The problem is that it creates stiffness and pain in the process, and it tends to get worse over time if the underlying instability isn’t addressed.

This is also why self-adjusting — cracking your own neck or back repeatedly — can backfire. You’re typically moving the joints that are already too mobile, while the ones that are actually stuck stay stuck. Over time, that pattern accelerates degeneration.

It’s showing up younger than it used to

Sedentary lifestyles and prolonged screen time are putting new stress on joints, particularly in the neck and upper back. We’re seeing arthritic changes in patients who wouldn’t have been considered at risk a generation ago. If you spend most of your day sitting or looking down at a screen, your joints are absorbing that strain whether you feel it yet or not.

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How We Treat Arthritis

Once we understand what’s driving your arthritis, here are the treatments we’re most likely to use:

Chiropractic Adjustments

The core of what we do for arthritic patients. Our job is to move the joints that aren’t moving, which takes pressure off the ones that are overcompensating. We always assess what’s safe first, and adapt our technique to what works for you; including gentler options like activator adjustments for patients who prefer them.

Flexion Distraction

A table-assisted technique that gently opens up joint spaces in the spine. It’s particularly well-suited for arthritic patients because it decompresses without the manual force of a traditional adjustment. Most patients say it’s one of the best parts of their appointment.

Cold Laser Therapy

Light therapy that reduces inflammation and supports tissue repair at the cellular level. No heat, no discomfort. A good option for patients who want something gentler alongside their other treatments.

Shockwave / Pressure Wave Therapy

Uses acoustic waves to break up scar tissue and stimulate the body’s natural healing response. Arthritis and tendonitis often go hand in hand, and shockwave gets to both. It’s not entirely comfortable, but it produces real results, sometimes in fewer sessions than people expect.

Acupuncture

For patients dealing with significant inflammation or chronic pain, acupuncture can help reduce both. We don’t use it with every arthritis patient, but it’s available when it makes sense.

Movement and Lifestyle Guidance

This one matters more than people expect. Movement stimulates the nerve fibers that help decrease pain. It can feel counterintuitive when you’re stiff and sore, but getting joints moving — even gradually — is one of the most effective things you can do. We’ll help you figure out what that looks like for where you’re at right now.

Not sure where to start? We’ll figure that out at your first appointment. Most patients end up using a combination of these, and the mix shifts as you progress.

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What to Expect

Your First Appointment (60 minutes)

Your first visit is a full hour. We’ll go through your history, including any old injuries, surgeries, or patterns you’ve noticed over time. We run orthopedic tests to understand what’s going on and make sure it’s safe to treat. We don’t rush to x-rays. Unless there’s a clear clinical reason, we’d rather assess what we can assess and get started.

Most arthritis patients receive some form of treatment at that first appointment. It’s rare that we send someone home without addressing anything.

What treatment actually feels like

Chiropractic adjustments for arthritic patients are adapted to what your body can handle. If manual adjusting isn’t comfortable, we have other options. Flexion distraction is gentle by design, and most people find it genuinely relieving. Shockwave therapy involves some discomfort, but it’s adjustable, and we’ll tell you what to expect before we start.

How quickly will you feel better?

It depends on how long the degeneration has been building and how your body responds. Arthritis that has developed over decades isn’t going to reverse in a few visits. What most patients notice first is that they’re moving a little better and hurting a little less. That’s where we start. From there, the goal is to slow the progression and keep you functional, not just manage the pain indefinitely.

We meet you where you’re at

Not everyone is ready to overhaul their routine. That’s fine. We’ll start with whatever makes the most sense for you right now and build from there.